International Seirenkai Organization

I have just returned home to NJ after a transformational Seirenkai Karate & Jujitsu International Martial Arts Seminar. Though not everyone was able to attend whom we usually have with us at this seminar, absolutely every one of those friends in absentia were mentioned, referenced, and celebrated, and their well-known lessons were followed as if they were standing in the room.

Along that same thought process, we always make a point to reference and remember our sensei who taught us for so many years, and whose legacy we help to carry forward, even though they are no longer with us. Previously, we have awarded two Special Certificates of recognition in the ISO in honor of two of those absent Sensei: The "Robert Longo Take Care of the Little Things" Award; and the "Steve Dunne Integrity Award." There was one additional tribute for which we have waited for the right moment and purpose. On Saturday, we presented the first ever "Shihan Paul Arel Excellence in Martial Arts Teaching Award" to Masters Johanna and Len Glazer. Johanna has been my student for 34 years. Len has been a dedicated martial artist for over 42 years, and my student for the last 34 of them. The description on the certificate shown below captures the rationale for our choice of recipients for this important honor.

One of the most special benefits of having learned from Master Bob Longo is the retention of visceral, detailed impressions that remain with you always. Master Longo was the senior karate student of my primary teacher, Shihan Paul Arel, and also one of my sensei. He was methodical, motivational, extremely intelligent, extraordinarily powerful, and steeped in tradition. He perfectly personified the meaning of the first karate style he studied, Goju Ryu, in that he was very hard on the exterior but actually a very soft and gentle person in character and personality. Today is 23 years since we said farewell to Master Longo, but his influence and presence endure, and I am extremely thankful to have had him as a major presence in my development as a martial artist and as a person.

Seirenkai Black Belt Class this Saturday at the Concord, MA Dojo: All Seirenkai Karate and Jujitsu Dans are welcome for this OUTDOOR Street-Clothes class. Content will include new material for everyone and will cover Karate, Jujitsu, and Kobudo (emphasis on Bo and possibly Sai.) Please wear a Seirenkai t-shirt, comfortable pants, and secure, closed shoes.
Warm-up from 9-9:30.
Bow-in sharply at 9:30am. Bow out at 1:30pm.
Bring water and a light snack for a brief break mid-class.
Optional get-together after class at the home of Masters Johanna and Len Glazer.
Please send a text to me at 732-331-8625 today to confirm your attendance at the class and post-class get-together.
Really excited to see you for an old-school and intensive Yudanshakai. DC

Ossu Everyone:
Today begins an Accelerated Early Bird Registration period for the 2024 Seirenkai Martial Arts International Seminar. The event will take place at the Doubletree by Hilton, Boston-Andover, USA, in historic Andover, MA, from July 18-21, 2024. All mature (age 12 and up) Karate and Jujitsu practitioners from White through advanced Black Belts are encouraged to attend. A few very important notes and deadlines for this year’s seminar:
· Special Room rates (less than last year) are available until June 24, 2023, to Seirenkai Seminar Participants at the Doubletree by Hilton Boston-Andover Hotel. The room block may fill before June 24 and the hotel will sell out, so do not wait to book your room. Note- Seminar Registration and Hotel Reservations are separate!
· Early Bird Registration: Honbu must receive your registration form and payment by June 15, 2024. Save by registering right away!
· Standard Registration: Honbu must receive your registration form and payment by July 8, 2024.
· Special family rate: For each additional participant (family member) from the same household beyond the first person the cost will be $380 per person.
· Please note flight timing relative to Logan Airport pick-up / drop-off
Our Registration Period is accelerated this year so please do not delay registering for the most important Seirenkai event of the year. Please reach out to your Sensei or to Sensei Dan Cohen with seminar and registration questions at (732) 331-8625 or [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you soon in Andover!
Ossu!
The Seirenkai Directors

A little smattering of Seirenkai Karate and Jujitsu demos for those in a "Rush"

Seirenkai Seminar Demonstration Montage Dan Cohen (Slow Motion Multiple Attacker Defense against Ben Friedman, Len Glazer and Steve Lisauskas at 2009 Seirenkai International Seminar); Scott Cohen &...

August of 1992 was our 4th National Seminar and the first of many in Seattle. The last class included tamashi wari (board and brick breaking), and many of the larger boards were especially difficult to break as they were not well-matched. Near the conclusion of the session, I was holding 5 boards for an especially challenging technique. Sensei Mike Lewenczuk was going to break with Kekomi Yoko Geri, a thrusting side kick. I said to Shihan Arel that I think it would be safer if I received some back-up, believing he would send over one of the other black belts to support me. I was hoping for Master Bob Longo who was nearby and would certainly have provided the high level of concrete stability that I desired. Instead, Mr. Arel stepped closer to me and lightly, almost delicately, put his hands on my wrists. Shihan was not in a deep stance as he had a particularly acute bone spur in his heel at that seminar. I was slightly concerned that this support would not be enough to keep those boards in place for the break but I trusted my sensei and said nothing as Mike prepared to unleash his powerful kick. Just a millisecond before the knife-edge of Mike's foot hit the first board I felt a surge of energy throughout my body that felt like lightning and thunder had combined in an explosion of power. Just as the sidekick demolished the last of the five boards, all of the energy disappeared as if it had never happened. As everyone watching applauded for my friend Mike, Shihan whispered "Nice job, Dan" and stepped away.

Today marks 15 years since Shihan Arel passed away. It is hard to comprehend that so many years could have passed already. I am in good company in saying that his lessons, technical instruction, stories, and humor are so viscerally embedded in his senior students that time has diminished none of the vibrancy of the memories as if they happened last week and not decades ago. As a martial artist and as a person, a distinguishing characteristic of Shihan Paul Arel was the very small, almost imperceptible nuances of his techniques and interactions. They were often not easy to see and even harder to copy. But it was the small rather than the grand actions that distinguished him from others.

While he had many students throughout his 60-year martial arts journey, those who absorbed most effectively what he taught and how he taught it did so because they were maximally receptive and open to his teaching. We did not all fit a specific athletic mold, nor did we fit into a certain psychological profile that was suited to his style of karate or jujitsu. But we had three qualities that enabled us to absorb what he had to teach: 1) Trust in our sensei; 2) Patience to keep working and wait until he was ready to teach something new; 3) Acute openness to receive and absorb as much as possible whenever, wherever, and however the lessons might be imparted.

On this sad 15-year milestone, I am exceptionally proud of all of our students and sensei in Seirenkai who continue to keep alive our own Sensei's traditions, both technical and otherwise. Though we do so as part of the International Seirenkai Organization, we all diligently honor our promises to our Sensei, and as he said, "do our best" to perfect our technique and character while passing on the lessons to new generations. Shihan Arel's last request to me two days before his death was to "Say hi to all the guys for me," so I am hoping this message in his honor will be a unique and personal manner of honoring his last request.

Twenty-five minutes of Karate and Jujitsu instruction from 25 years ago. The first of the Annual Autumn Finland Seminars started in November 1998. This seminar was 10 years before Seirenkai's beginning, though all of the techniques shown remain a part of Seirenkai. The origin of some of the bunkai in the first few minutes was a mystery until ten years later when the kata from which the bunkai was drawn made their first formal appearance. Some very familiar faces appear here; along with many familiar techniques, in many cases broken down into details, especially some core Nage Waza. Wonderful memories from these seminars and I look forward to many more. The last few minutes of this video were from the 2000 seminar, not 1998.

Finland Seirenkai Karate & Jujitsu Annual Autumn Finland Seminar Assorted clips from the Annual Autumn Finland Seirenkai Karate & Jujitsu Seminars led by Sensei Dan Cohen (1998-2002) and Sensei Scott Cohen (1998) in Vantaa.

https://youtu.be/L-LnemoAhTo?feature=shared

Sai-Bo Yakusoku Kumite (Seirenkai Kobudo) Sai-Bo Yakusoku Kumite (Seirenkai Kobudo) - Sensei Dean Ierardi and Sensei Rob Alexander review a short pre-arranged Bo vs. Sai Kumite which they taught at ...

The International Seirenkai Organization (ISO) celebrated its 15th Anniversary around the world with special awards presented in Finland (congratulations Sonja Ulma) and with the final 2023 Black Belt class at Honbu on Sunday. The four-hour class was both an in-person and on-line combined event, partly all together and partly separate. The class included Karate and Jujitsu sections led by Masters Scott Cohen, Dan Cohen, Steve Lisauskas, Bob Zysk, and Sergio Pena. The remote crew included Masters Eyal Klein and Ben Friedman as well. Overall participation included ISO members from CT, NJ, MA, WI, OH, IL, SC, and 3 black belts from Israel. The theme of the class was a review of core content with emphasis on basics, principles, and dynamics of foundational techniques. The content included: Mobility-oriented Taiso (limbering); stationary and moving Kihon (karate basics); foundation level kata; whipping techniques inspired by Yahara Sensei; and a Sen Sen no Sen no Kata review for sandans and higher. Once the mats hit the floor, the Honbu crew worked on ukemi drills, a deep dive into Koshi Nage Waza (hip throws); core self-defense, and transitional self-defense into throws. The online group worked in detail on Bassai, Gojushiho, Marute, and Tekki Shodan. Following the class, those at Honbu enjoyed a celebration with pizza and a special ice cream cake to celebrate the 15th anniversary. No pizza or cake for the remote crew--- we just did more kata. :-) Thanks to everyone who made the day so memorable, and special thanks to Alaska and Ohio member Iluhi Schimetka for flying in for this class and the October 7 Invitational Seminar in Boston; and to Master Pena for coming up to Honbu from South Carolina for the celebration and class. Extra special thanks to Sempai Victoria Symkus who trained for the full 4 hours of class even with a brand new white belt ready to greet the world at any moment! That is some serious Seirenkai dedication!!! Good luck Victoria and Adam.